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July 2024, playing the tourist in DC and vicinity..

I attended the rehearsal of the PBS broadcast of "A Capitol Fourth" held on the US Capitol grounds.

I had thought of attending the actual broadcast, but the weather forecast for July 4th was questionable and I had no desire to get rained on, or even to be standing or sitting on a soggy Capitol lawn.

It is just as well that I went to the rehearsal instead. It rained earlier in the day, but the real issue is that it was mobbed on the 4th. Watch a stream of the broadcast and you'll see what I'm saying.

On the third, we all brought our blankets and sat comfortably spaced apart on the lawn. The rehearsal was not without its issues. There was a hour-long pause near the beginning. It was explained that the orchestra was unhappy with the audio mix. But it was an interesting evening, particularly considering my long career in broadcasting.